


Meeting Mary

by ArielAquarial



Series: Family of Three [13]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Castiel is Claire Novak's Parent, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2020-04-08 00:26:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19096012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArielAquarial/pseuds/ArielAquarial
Summary: There's a time in every relationship where the partner must meet the parents. Dean has held Mary off longer than he ever thought possible, much to her frustration. After a strange text from his mother, Dean decides its finally time.





	Meeting Mary

**Author's Note:**

> I am alive.  
> College kicked my ass, but I'm on summer break (!) so you can expect faster posts!  
> I tried to post this with a picture, but its giving me problems. It may or may not have worked...  
> So, if there is a picture: Yay! If not: Sorry!

_Mom (9:20 am): Wish me a happy birthday now, so I can go about my day and not get my feelings hurt_

 

The text came just as Claire finished her breakfast and wandered off to get dressed for the day. He'd just started rinsing off their breakfast dishes so they could be loaded into the dishwasher when the ping interrupted him.

 

He stared at his phone for a few moments, wondering if he had blinked and suddenly time-traveled to the next day, or perhaps entered another dimension altogether. A crazy people dimension. It was 9:30 in the goddamn morning on a Saturday- hardly enough time to pull their asses out of bed, get dressed, and have a breakfast of blueberry pancakes- and he was already dealing with this shit?

 

What the hell?

 

Dean opened his contacts and called his brother. Sam answered the phone immediately, almost as if he were waiting on standby. "Did mom text you too?"

 

He groaned loudly into the phone. So, he hadn’t been the only victim. "Yeah."

 

Sam sighed loudly. "I swear, she's getting crazier every year."

 

Dean snorted in amusement, but still jumped to defend her. "She's not crazy...just lonely. Remember when she was with Ketch? She was off our backs for three months. He was kinda a dick, but at least he kept her busy."

 

"Yeah, and now that he's gone, she has nothing better to do than think up crazy scenarios in her head. She called me last week and told me that if she didn't get another grandbaby soon, she was going to shrivel up and die. She also said something about a biological clock that I'm definitely not repeating to Jess. Mentioned your name a few times too, so I’d be careful."

 

Dean just shook his head in disbelief. "Have we ever forgotten a birthday?"

 

Sam paused to think. "No. She'd never let us forget if we did."

 

"What the fuck? I went out with Claire yesterday and bought her a damn card. It's ugly as hell, but Claire liked it, so…" another sigh escaped his lips. "Do I gotta drop off the receipt with the card so that she believes that I wasn’t going to forget her birthday?”

 

"That might not be a bad idea…" Sam muttered under his breath, but Dean knew him well enough that he wasn't serious. "I don't know, Dean. Maybe keep it in your wallet just in case, though."

 

"Fuck," he muttered. "I gotta call her, right? No. I'm texting her instead."

 

"Well, you have to do something. Mom knows I'm working, so I have more time to figure out what I'm going to do."

 

"Damn." Dean let out a long groan. "I need to get in on that whole work from home thing. Think people will deliver their cars to my house for me to fix? Shit. I gotta go. With me luck, Sammy…"

 

Dean hung up and ran his fingers through his hair. There was no way that the rest of the day would go well if that was how his morning was starting. He pulled out his phone and carefully composed a text.

 

To mom (9:43 am): I would never forget your birthday, mom. I'm going to call you in a bit.

 

He hit send and went back to rinsing the dishes. He hadn’t done anything wrong, but that hardly mattered with family. Still, he’d be forced to smooth things over with his mom, and he’d have to figure it out quickly. His mother had been known to stew in her resentment, and since she was post-retirement, she didn’t have much to do other than think about things that made her upset. Dean knew that one sure-fire way to fix everything would be to finally let her meet Cas and Claire. It was time. They had been dating for almost a year, way too long to push it off any longer. If Mary didn’t live almost an hour and a half away, she probably would have busted down their door by now and kidnapped Cas and Claire. Thank god he never gave her Cas’s address.

 

Dean knew Cas was in his office turned sewing room (he and Charlie had shut themselves in there at an ungodly hour, with barely a thank you for making them breakfast), but he hoped the interruption wouldn't get him killed. When Cas and Charlie were in the middle of a project, they could get a little testy. Couple that with the fact that the next event was only a week away, the last-minute projects were driving them a little bit crazy. Cas even had a checklist scribbled onto a dry erase board tacked onto the refrigerator, for god's sake.

 

Dean peaked through the glass door before entering, but they were both too engrossed in their tasks to notice him. Charlie was kneeling on the plush carpet, a silky looking blue fabric laid out and a white pattern piece pinned carefully onto it. A wicked pair of angled scissors rested next to her hip and he let out a relieved sigh at that. At least Cas wouldn't have access to a weapon in case his request went tits-up. Cas had his machine on, his foot gunning the pedal and the fabric practically flying through it. He squinted at the process like that material had personally insulted him.

 

"Cas…" he began, hoping to get it over with.

 

Charlie cleared her throat, gaining his attention. "He's sewing knee-breeches, and those are a total bitch…give him a second. He’s already had to rip out the crotch seam twice."

 

He nodded in sympathy and waited patiently until Cas stopped sewing with a groan. Cas looked up with a scowl, his face a picture-perfect example of frustration. "Why am I doing this, again?"

 

Dean smiled in amusement and pointed at the fabric. "Don't you already have pants?"

 

Cas nodded. "I do, but these are for you."

 

That surprised him. "For me?"

 

Cas grinned at him. "Why else would I have measured you last night?"

 

He blushed, unwilling to explain that he was hoping all the measuring was for something kinky. After all, Cas _had_ been measuring the area around his dick. He'd save that bit of information until Charlie was out of the room. "I don't know. So…you making an outfit for me?"

 

"Of course! I can't have you in camp in your mundanes…"

 

Dean cocked his head. "Mundanes? Sounds like a band name…"

 

"He means your normal clothes." Charlie piped in from her place on the floor, her scissors clipping triangles onto the fabric.

 

"Well, cool. You gonna make me look good?"

 

Charlie scoffed, interrupting whatever Cas was going to say. "Have you ever seen a pair of breeches?"

 

"Charlie…" Cas scolded, but his lips were already fighting a smile. "The vest will be long enough to cover it, Dean. Don't let her scare you."

 

"Scare me?" He echoed. "Anyone gonna explain?"

 

She smirked at him. "Breeches were designed so that you can move freely, and because of that…there's extra room in the back to adjust for sitting and crouching."

 

Immediately, images of those super trendy- and unflattering- drop crotch pants floated into his mind. "I'm gonna have a diaper butt?"

 

Charlie cackled in joy. "It's awesome!"

 

Dean glared at her as Cas rolled his eyes and picked up his already threated needle so he could start some hand sewing. "Oh, yeah? Well, what are you wearing?"

 

She put down her scissors and gestured to the fabric. "I am making myself a gown. A Robe à l'Anglaise." At his blank look, she rolled her eyes. "It's a pretty dress."

 

"So, you're going to be a girl this time?"

 

"First of all, I'm a girl all of the time." She reminded him, the pointy edge of the scissors pointing at him. "But yes, I'm wearing a dress this time. I’m with the SA girls for the event, and we all agreed to wear dresses. Even made myself a new pair of stays last week."

 

He shook his head, already overwhelmed with information. He knew SA was short for the Sewing Association she had been a part of for more than ten years, but the rest of it made little sense. "And stays are?"

 

She sighed in a long-suffering way, picked back up her scissors and continued the cutting process. "They're like the corsets of the 18th century. They functioned as a bra and support for the skirts. I’m going to be wearing a split rump so I’ll have to have on at least two petticoats. Tie those bad boys onto the stays and boom…can’t even feel them."

 

“Ok, but I thought you’d do a sailor thing.”

 

“I can’t be the only one not wearing a dress. We don’t want to look like some kind of harem. That would be too hard to explain away.”

 

They were interrupted by a loud knock. Turning, all three of them were greeted by the sight of Claire pressing her chubby cheek into the glass of the door and breathing fog onto the glass. Her blue butterfly shirt and pink polka dot skirt clashed horribly, but that was the price you paid when you allowed children to dress themselves.

 

Dean waved at her with a smile and she grinned back. "I want to play!"

 

"Ok, sweetie. I'll be out in a moment!" he yelled back. Dean waved her away, knowing that he'd likely find her in her room in a few minutes playing with her barbies. "Looks like I gotta go, but first I have to ask you something."

 

"Sure. Anything, Dean. You know that."

 

He smiled softly at his boyfriend, ignoring Charlie's fake gagging sound. "I was thinking that I should introduce you and Claire to my mother. What do you think about that?"

 

He put down the sewing needle and steepled his fingers. "I think that this is a big change from your usual feelings on the matter."

 

Dean grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, well…my mom's birthday is today and she's already mad at me."

 

Cas huffed out a laugh. "And you're hoping that the chance to meet me and Claire will smooth things over?"

 

He ducked his head. "Can't keep anything from you, babe."

 

Cas hummed; his expression carefully blank. "While I don't know how I feel about you using Claire and me for your personal gain…you know I would love to meet your mother."

 

"Yeah, I know…its just-" he paused for a moment before shrugging. "She's a lot to take in."

 

"I'm sure I'll be fine, Dean."

 

Charlie chose that moment to remind Dean that she was still there. "He'll be fine, Dean. Your mom isn't that bad."

 

He shot her a look. "That wasn't what you were saying when she was trying to get us to date."

 

She shuddered dramatically. "I forgot about that."

 

"She tried that?" Cas asked with a skeptical look in his eyes. "She didn't know that Charlie isn't into men?"

 

"Strictly into the V.", she confirmed with a wink.

 

"Oh, she knew," Dean informed him, ignoring Charlie. "I don't think she cared. She just really wants me getting me married."

 

"Yeah." She agreed. "It's like she's some Victorian mom. Oh my god! Dean, your mom is Mrs. Bennet."

 

Cas laughed. "Does that make me Darcy?"

 

"No." Dean grumped. "Because that would make me Elizabeth, and I'm not an Elizabeth, ok? And I know you'll be fine, babe. I just don't want her to scare you away."

 

Cas nodded thoughtfully. "I understand. Just know that there's nothing she could do that would scare me away."

 

Dean smiled at Cas’s comment. "I owe you one. I just have to think of how we're going to do this…”

 

Cas shook his head in amusement. "Dean. I have a simple solution. One that doesn't involve much preparation."

 

He huffed. "I'm all ears, then…"

 

"Call your mother to apologize, and then invite her to the event. It's simple. The promise of finally meeting your boyfriend and his daughter will distract her enough that she will let you off the hook for the perceived slight, just as you want, but the event will allow space between us and her. She can't come into the camp, for liability reasons, so there's a separation. If we feel comfortable, we can easily step out and take a walk with her."

 

Dean's mouth dropped open. It was perfect. "You're so goddamn smart Cas." He braced his arms on the desk so he could lean in for a kiss. "So perfect. Charlie, you're going to have to leave for like ten minutes so I can show this man some appreciation."

 

Charlie wrinkled her nose. "Ew. That’s a glass door, Dean."

 

Cas cocked an eyebrow. "Just ten minutes?"

 

"Babe." He pouted. "You know I could go for hours, but the event is coming up and I know you have a lot to do…"

 

Cas smiled widely. "I love you."

 

"I love you too." Dean gave Cas another kiss, this one lingering long enough that Charlie had to clear her throat to get his attention.

 

"Geeze, maybe I _should_ give you two ten minutes…"

 

Dean backed off of his boyfriend with a smile and left the two of them alone so he could call his mom.

 

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

 

Dean tightened the bright orange strap one more time and tied the loose end off so it wouldn't be flapping in the wind as Cas drove. The borrowed truck was absolutely packed with things they'd picked up from John and Amanda's house. Tables, ropes, poles, a big canvas tent, wooden chests, and other props were all going down to the park with Cas tonight. There, they would begin setting up for the event that would be starting the next morning at 10 am. He planned on getting there around 8 am so he could join the group for breakfast. From what Cas said, they would definitely be needing help finishing the set up since a few people wouldn't be arriving with their things until the morning of. On top of that, he had an outfit to change into and had no idea how long that would take.

 

Sam, the little nerd, was practically bouncing in his seat with excitement when Cas told him to come down so he could check things out. Dean reminded him that it was a public event and he could come down whether he was invited or not, but Sam didn't seem to care. He even offered to take Claire overnight, in what would be Claire's first sleepover, and then drop her off with them when he swung by. Cas, only a little emotional about the whole thing, had thanked him profusely. Setting up and getting his job done, all while wrangling a 4-year-old, had always been difficult (more so when she was younger), so any help was appreciated.

 

"Well…" Dean gave the strap one last tug and smiled at his work. "That isn't going anywhere."

 

Cas laced his fingers through Deans. "Thank you for all of the help, Dean. John and Amanda really appreciated it. Usually, they have to rent a U-Haul. You’ll thank Benny for letting us borrow his truck, won’t you?”

 

Benny hadn't even hesitated and agreed to lend out his truck for the weekend like it was nothing. He'd definitely be getting a thank-you pie. "Yeah, well…it'd be a waste of money, ya know? Truck rentals aren't cheap."

 

Cas squeezed his hand. "Still. We all appreciate it. I only wish you would be able to spend the night with me tonight. I promise I'll work on making a bigger tent, okay? I've been meaning to purchase a new sewing machine, one that can handle the canvas. My goal for the next event is to have a tent big enough for the three of us."

 

"It’s no big deal," Dean promised him. "It's not far, so driving up both days is doable. Besides, it's gonna be colder than a witch's tit out there tonight, so I'm gonna pass."

 

"Will you remember to bring the external charger tomorrow?" Cas asked, ignoring Dean's choice of words. "And you'll make sure to check your phone just in case I send you a list of things I've forgotten?"

 

"Of course."

 

"Ok then." Cas surveyed the contents of the truck. "I think this is everything."

 

Dean looked at the truck bed, piled high with things a normal person would assume was junk at first glance. "I hope so."

 

"I'll miss you tonight."

 

He smiled and opened his arms for Cas to step into. "You'll just miss having someone's ass to push your cold feet under."

 

Cas huffed and wrapped his hands around Dean, resting his palms in the middle of his back. "You'll miss my cold feet."

 

"Duh." He confirmed with a wink. “I don’t understand how you can be so warm in bed, and still have ice cubes for feet.”

 

“I’m a very special man.” He commented. Cas reached up and cupped his cheek, bringing him closer for a kiss. Dean smiled against his boyfriends' lips and wrapped his arms as tightly around Cas’s waist as he could manage. He could tell Cas was trying to keep it chaste, but Dean wasn’t going to be seeing him until tomorrow, so there was no way that he’d let their parting kiss to be a little peck. He reached up and grabbed the short hairs on the back of Cas’s head and tilted, slotting Cas’s mouth against his. Automatically, Cas opened up to him and groaned into Dean's mouth. Dean knew that they probably shouldn't be making out in the driveway in the middle of the day, but his nosy neighbors could shove it. After a few minutes, Cas reluctantly pulled away and swatted Dean on the butt. "Stop it. I need to leave."

 

"But it's only 12:30, Cas." He whined, tightening his fingers on Cas's hips. "Can't you stay a little longer?"

 

Cas took a step towards his truck, pulling reluctantly out of Dean's grip. "I'll see you tomorrow, Dean."

 

He stuck out his bottom lip in a pout. "But Cas…"

 

"I love you, Dean." He turned and climbed into his car with a wave, and Dean watched him drive away until he disappeared around the corner.

 

With a deep sigh, Dean shuffled back into the house. He had taken the day off, with only a little attitude from Bobby, so he could help out with whatever Cas needed, but now that Cas was gone he had nothing to do until he picked Claire up from TK at 3:30.

 

By the time 3:15 rolled around, he was climbing into baby with an overnight bag for Claire packed and a zip lock baggy full of cheezits. Normally, Cas picked her up if he could since Dean usually didn’t get off until later in the day, but the ladies at the front desk had signed paperwork that stated that Dean could pick her up, so they let him pass through without fuss. Claire was sitting on the large carpet, a semicircle of children all facing the teacher while she read from a picture book. The teacher paused when she noticed him and let Claire know she was getting picked up. The smile on her face as she ran to give Dean a hug was the highlight of his day. With a grunt, he picked her up and put her on his hip.

 

"How was school, Claire-bear?" he asked as soon as the classroom door clicked shut.

 

She wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him into another tight hug. "We had cupcakes today!"

 

"Oh yeah?" he enthused. "Did you save one for me?"

 

She laughed. "No! It was for Austen’s birfday."

 

"Wow, sounds like you had a good day at school." He stopped briefly to sign her out and continued out the door and to his car. "You excited about staying at Uncle Sams?"

 

"Yeah! And Emma is gonna be there! We're gonna play togeder." She let him buckle her into her car seat, barely even stopping to take a breath. "And Uncle Sammy said I can share a bed wif Emma!"

 

"I'm sure Emma will love that." He pulled away from the curve and began the short drive to his brother's house. "She's really excited that you're coming over."

 

She squealed in excitement. "I never done a sleepover before! Emma is my best friend, did you know dat?"

 

“I didn’t know that.” he lied. “I’m glad that you get to hang out with her today. You’re going to have a lot of fun tonight.”

 

Dean smiled at her in the rearview mirror and thanked the stars that he wasn't the one watching them for their first sleepover. He knew that he'd be on the hook for the next one, but Sam had volunteered to be the guinea pig and Dean sure as hell wasn't going to argue about it. Besides, he was really looking forward to a night of uninterrupted sleep.

 

He pulled up to Sam's house and helped Claire get out of her car seat before making his way to the front door. Before he could even knock, Sam pulled the door open and Emma rushed out and clung to his leg in a tight hug.

 

"She heard your car," Sam explained over the sound of both girls squealing and hugging excitedly. "It's been the only thing she's talked about all day."'

 

Dean let go of her hand so she and Emma could run off into the house together. "Claire too."

 

Sam watched them from the door, then turned back to Dean. "So. Anything you need to tell me about her?"

 

"Uh…" Dean scratched his head. He was so used to Claire’s needs that he was pretty much guaranteed to forget to tell Sam _something_ important _._ "Not really. She gets a book right before bed like Emma, so that won't be a problem. Bedtime is 8 pm, so don’t put her down for a nap tomorrow morning or else she’ll stay up late. Uh…she might want you to sing to her."

 

He rolled his eyes. "Great. What song?"

 

"The sunshine song. You know, the ‘you are my sunshine, my only sunshine…'. That one."

 

"Ok, I can do that. Anything else?"

 

"Nope." He grabbed the bag from the floor and shoved it into Sam's chest. "There's a diaper in there for her, pajamas, Mrs. Sparkles, and a change of clothes for tomorrow. Cas says I'll have pockets so I'll keep my phone on me, so just call me when you're on your way and I'll let ya know where we are. Now, let me say goodbye and I'll get out of here."

 

"So soon? You don't want to stay for a bit? I’m sure Jess wouldn’t mind if you stayed for dinner."

 

Dean stared at him for a second. "Are you kidding me? I'm going to go home and relax. I haven't had the chance to sit on my ass all alone and do nothing for months!" he walked into Sam's house and scooped Claire off of the ground. Despite her squirming, he gave her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek before setting her back down so she could go back to Emma. “Love ya, sweetie.”

 

She turned and gave him a kiss on his cheek. “Love you too!”

 

Sam shook his head at Dean, but the smile was still there. "Well, I'll call you if I need anything then."

 

Dean threw up a peace sign and headed for the door, already mentally in vacation mode. "See ya!"

 

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

 

Dean woke up at exactly 7 am and closed his eyes so he could bask in the silence that he so rarely experienced anymore. It had taken him a little longer to get to sleep since Cas wasn't in bed with him, but he had slept like a baby and as much as he loved Claire, there were mornings where she got up at the ass crack of dawn to use the restroom and then suddenly decided it would be a good idea to put on a concert. Waking up to the sound of a child obnoxiously singing songs at 5 in the morning was enough to ruin even the best night's sleep. Even when he was able to return to sleep immediately, an interrupted sleep was still a recipe for a groggy morning. Cas was a heavier sleeper so he usually slept through it, but Dean always woke up with random words being sung to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

 

He took his time and relaxed for a bit, but after a few minutes, he pulled himself into a seated position and started getting dressed. Cas had told him that the camp would be up early, likely with the sun, so he should come as soon as he could. Knowing everything he needed would be there, Dean pulled on some jeans with his t-shirt, threw on a jacket, and quickly made himself a cup of coffee.

 

The park was only about twenty minutes away, and with the early hour, there was plenty of parking right next to the event. Any later in the day, and he'd probably have to park up at the library and make the walk down. The park was still quiet in the morning light with only a few people wandering around their roped off camps. Dog walkers and early morning joggers ran down the path, sparing only a few questioning glances at the strange campers who had popped up in the park overnight. He made his way towards the stream, knowing that was where Cas's group would be, and found the man a few minutes later.

 

With a long metal spatula in one hand and a steaming clay mug in the other, Cas stood in front of the fire, stirring sizzling food in a large cast iron skillet. A familiar long shirt covered him to the knees, and a pair of Deans red plaid pajama pants covered the rest of his legs. The whole ensemble was topped off with a pair of leather sandals, and bedhead to rival even his worst days.

 

His stomach growled with excitement as he approached Cas, the smell of meat, onion, and potatoes permeating the air around him even at a distance. "Hey, Cas!" He yelled, gaining the man's attention.

 

Cas looked up, a smile already forming on his lips. "It's about time you're here…"

 

"Hey!" he huffed. "You said to be here by 8, and its 7:50."

 

Cas placed the spatula on a hook, leaving the food alone so it could form a nice crust, and made his way to the entrance of the camp. With one tug, the knot holding the roped off entrance was undone, and Dean was able to step in and meet his boyfriend in a tight hug. "Yes, but I missed you. I don't think I slept more than 4 hours last night. It got quite cold, and the traffic sounds woke me up more than once."

 

Dean pulled away and looked around the camp, noticing the empty beer bottles, and copious numbers of shot glasses still littering every available surface. "It had nothing to do with everyone getting drunk?"

 

He smirked in return. "Of course not. I'll have you know that most of that…" he made a wide gesture that encompassed the mess that topped the large table, "was Alfie. I don't think we'll be seeing him until the show starts. I had only a beer and a single shot."

 

"Little Alfie?" Dean questioned. "He couldn't be more than 150 pounds soaking wet. He can’t have had that much to drink…"

 

Cas nodded seriously. "Yes. ‘Little Alfie' went a little wild last night. I definitely learned a few things about my former student. In his defense, everyone was pushing him to drink more. I decided to stay out of the whole affair."

 

Dean shook his head and regretted that he couldn't be there to see it. "Well, you'll just have to tell me about it later."

 

"Later." He smiled and leaned in for a light peck. "I'm just glad you're here. Half of the group is still on their way, and I fear I'm the only one not hungover. I attempted to wake John earlier, but I wasn’t very successful."

 

Unsatisfied with just one kiss, Dean leaned in for another. That kiss turned into two, and soon their hands were wandering and Cas was pushed up against a wooden crate. Warm hands pushed at his shoulder, and he finally detached himself from Cas's mouth. "How big is that tent of yours?"

 

Cas glared at Deans playful eyebrow wiggle. "Not big enough for whatever your planning. I'd rather not get a ticket for public indecency when we inevitably tumble out of the tent."

 

With a snigger, Dean leaned in for another kiss. This time he kept his hands above the belt. "Fair enough."

 

Cas gave him another gentle push, not trusting Dean to keep things PG. "Why don't you start picking up around camp a little. After last night I'm unwilling to wake everyone up until breakfast is ready, so I'd really appreciate the help."

 

"Sure." He agreed. "Just the bottles?"

 

Cas glanced around the camp. "Anything modern. If you're not sure, just ask."

 

Dean gave him a mocking salute and began picking up. By the time he had picked up all of the beer bottles, threw some canvas over the stack of water bottles, and picked up any trash, Cas was serving himself and Dean a delicious looking sausage and potato hash with a couple of hard-boiled eggs. He handed the wooden bowls off to Dean, and made the rounds around Camp, knocking on the wooden supports for everyone's tent and letting them know that breakfast was ready.

 

Despite having met everyone before at their group meetings, they still reintroduced themselves and made a point to talk to him. Eyes were bloodshot, headaches were pounding, and some words were still a little slurred, but despite the hangovers, everyone seemed genuinely happy to be there and excited about the weekend. Cannon battles were discussed, jokes were told, and schedules were planned. The longer he sat with them, the more he looked forward to a relaxing day of hanging out in 18th-century clothing and eating food.

 

"Don't worry, Dean," Cas reassured him as Dean listened to them talk about all of the things they would do throughout the day. "You don't have to talk with the public if you don't want to. If anyone asks you a question, direct them to me. You just need to relax and keep an eye on Claire when she gets here. Consider yourself ambiance."

 

"Ambiance?" He questioned. "So, all you want me to do is sit around and look pretty?"

 

"Exactly."

 

Dean smirked. "Fuckin awesome."

 

Alfie, who had been the last to wander out of his tent, chuckled at Dean. "Want to trade?”

 

Dean shook his head. "No way. You're out of luck, kid."

 

Alfie hung his head, and although his eyes were squinting in obvious pain, his lips were tilted up in a smile. "I had way too much to drink last night. How am I going to talk to anyone? How am I going to do the Press Gang?"

 

"How are you going to survive the cannon blast?" Cas piped in, reminding him how they kicked off the event at 10 am.

 

Alfie groaned, drowning out Deans snigger. "I forgot about that."

 

"Maybe you should take something for your headache." Dean offered, pitying the young man. He remembered being young and drinking way too much. Those days were over for him, but he could still remember the pain of some pretty epic hangovers. There was nothing worse that waking up after a night of drinking to a job to do. “Drink some water, at least.”

 

"After breakfast." He grumped, unwilling to move even for ibuprofen. "God, this is horrible. I’m both hungry and nauseous. How is that possible?"

 

A few of the men and women wandered back to their tents, leaving only a handful of people at the table. Cas, just having finished his bowl, grabbed Dean's mostly empty one and brought it back to the fire where he filled it back up. "Eat as much as you can, Dean. It’s going to be a long day."

 

Dean took his bowl back and polished off its contents in minutes. "Man…there's nothing like eating a fry up cooked over a fire."

 

"It is definitely one of the best things." Cas agreed with a pleased smile on his handsome face. The man leaned back and closed his eyes against the sun. Cas looked so in his element that Dean couldn’t bring himself to talk.

 

"Oh god…" Alfie mumbled, holding his hand to his stomach. His face was turning an alarming shade of green. Both men startled and watched as he got up and stumbled over to the stream behind their camp.

 

Dean made a face in disgust, but Cas stood up to follow after him. He watched as Cas put a comforting hand on the kids back, and rubbed in a circle. The whole scene filled his heart with warmth. Cas had taken Alfie under his wing years prior, and he even came over to the house to plan and borrow books. Even Dean had a bit of a soft spot for him. A few minutes later, Alfie stood, stomach contents still thankfully where they belonged, and Cas led him back to the tent to lay down.

 

"Thank god it's not going to be hot today." He said, pulling Dean to a standing position. "I don't think he'd survive a hangover _and_ heat stroke. At the last Fort Macarthur event, he was out of commission for 2 hours because of the heat. We almost called an ambulance for him, but thankfully someone brought electrolyte powder and he was almost as good as new. That was a rough weekend for everyone involved."

 

Dean followed Cas into the Marque tent and watched as Cas dug around a crate before pulling out a beige shirt. "Here is your shirt." He dug in a little more and pulled out a rolled-up bunch of clothing. "Ok, here is the rest. Socks…" one by one, he put the items in front of Dean. "Shoe…the breeches I made you…here are the buckles- do not lose these, they’re small and I’ve had to repurchase them multiple times- and your vest."

 

“What do I do for underwear? You got something special or should I just wear what I have?”

 

“Well, if you want to be completely accurate, you can go without. The shirt is long, so it bunches up in the crotch area, providing cover and a bit of support. Underwear as we know it hadn’t been used in the 18th century.”

 

Dean looked up at Cas. “Are you wearing underwear?”

 

Cas smiled at him in reply. “A gentleman would never tell.”

 

Dean scoffed. “So…you’re not.”

 

Cas just shrugged.

 

“I’m wearing underwear.” He decided, a challenging look in his eye. “I’m not ready to be fully accurate.”

 

Cas shrugged again. “If that’s what you want.”

 

Dean couldn’t help but feel like Cas was messing with him so he picked up the nearest item and examined it. The item turned out to be really long socks. "Are they supposed to be this long?"

 

Cas nodded. "They're supposed to go over your knees."

 

He smirked. "Do you have a schoolgirl kink that you wanna tell me about?"

 

Cas ignored him and continued digging into the crate, eventually pulling out a bundle of beige fabric. "These are slops." He explained. "Both these and the breeches I gave you would have been acceptable worn separately, but historically, the slops were worn over the breeches to protect them from damage and dirt. Since this is the first event your participating in, no one is going to be picky and the general public is unlikely to know. I’ll be wearing both while at the fire but will be taking off the slops when I am not. Ultimately, it’s up to you. Either way, socks go on first and then the breeches. They should cover the top of the socks, so if they don’t, you’ll need to pull them up higher.”

 

Dean held up the breeches, dark blue linen with silver buttons. The front fly looked complicated. "I think I’ll just go with the breeches. The slops kind of look like a skirt.”

 

He hummed in agreement. "Yes, they do use quite a bit of fabric. Although, I don’t think anyone will be looking at you and think you’re wearing a skirt. I’ll put the slops away then."

 

Cas waited for Dean to get undressed before handing him the linen shirt. After it was pulled over his head, Cas made him put the socks on. Satisfied with the fit of everything so far, Cas handed him the breeches, telling him that he needed to button the middle ones before securing the front flap. Once those were on and tied to fit his waist, he handed over the waistcoat and watched as Dean buttoned it up. He looked good. Really good.

 

Cas couldn't help but tell him. "This is a good look on you, Dean."

 

Dean looked up from where he was slipping on a spare pair of Cas's buckled shoes. They fit pretty well for someone else’s leather shoes. "I do?"

 

Cas nodded, giving him an evaluating look. "You look like you just stepped off of a ship. It's really nice."

 

"Uh…" he flexed his toes in the shoes and rubbed the back of his neck. "Thanks."

 

Cas rolled his eyes. "Take the compliment, Dean."

 

Dean directed a red-faced glare at him. "Fine. You look good too. I love the pajama pants thing you have going on. Very chic."

 

Cas laughed. "Fine, I'll get dressed too."

 

Dean left the tent to get some water as Cas got himself ready. It was a really nice day. Sure, it was a bit overcast, but the forecast had promised it would burn off by noon, and stay in the high 60's for the rest of the day. A perfect day for sitting on your ass in a park and relaxing while people stared at you and probably took unflattering pictures while you picked your nose. Dean sniggered to himself and took another large gulp of water. Clearly, that was going to take some getting used to.

 

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Cas looking almost exactly as he had the first time, he'd laid eyes on him. The shirt was different, but the look was the same. He couldn't stop the warm feeling that was growing in his stomach. The feeling of coming full circle with his boyfriend was nearly overwhelming. "What's up, babe?"

 

"I just wanted to check in," he explained. "The event is kicking off in 15 minutes, and then the crowds will be coming in. You ready?"

 

Dean shrugged. "I've never been on this side, so I don't really know what to expect, but I should be fine."

 

"You will be," Cas reassured him. "All you have to do is sit around and relax. Remember, if anyone asks you a question, send them my way."

 

Dean groaned at the idea of being asked history questions. "You bet your ass, I will."

 

Cas smiled and leaned in to press a soft kiss on his forehead. "Good. I want you to have fun, ok? So, do whatever you want as long as it's period correct."

 

"So, no phones." He said. "Got it. If I get bored, I'll take a walk and look around. Scope out the competition."

 

"It's not a competition, but feel free to visit the other camps. I know Charlie set up with the girls around the corner. I'm sure she'd love a visit if she doesn't come and find you first. As I said, I want you to have fun. Stop by the tavern when you get a chance. The woman who runs it, Hannah, is very kind and will probably supply you with some free drink in exchange for your company. She _will_ make you sample the blood pudding, though, so be prepared for that. It’s actually quite nice of you don’t think too much about it."

 

Dean smiled at his boyfriend. It was clear as day that Cas was hoping Dean enjoyed himself so he'd want to be involved in future events. He was pretty sure Cas had nothing to worry about. "I'll be fine."

 

Cas nodded in agreement, a smile on his face. "Good. Don't forget, the event kicks off with a cannon blast, so don't be surprised by it."

 

"I'm sure I won't be."

 

He was. The damn cannon was so loud and unexpected that he dropped the hardboiled egg that he had been peeling into the dirt. With an annoyed grunt, he walked over to Cas's cooking area to get another, ignoring Cas's amused smile. Alfie didn’t fair much better. The loud thump and low groan was enough to know he had been violently woken from his nap.

 

People started trickling in quickly, these ones looking like they actually knew the event was going to be there. Thankfully, no one seemed to want to talk to him since he was far enough from the walking path that people would actually have to go out of their ways to engage him in conversation. Cas, on the other hand, stayed in his little area, a sharp looking carbon steel blade in hand, and a large chunk of beef on his cutting board. He had a welcoming smile on his face for anyone who would wander close enough to ask what he was doing. Dean couldn't hear their conversations, but he knew he was filling them in on info about sailors’ rations and other things someone with his job would know. He had gotten that same speech multiple times leading up to the event, each time just nodding and smiling at Cas as he went on and on. He didn't mind, he loved seeing Cas so passionate about something.

 

Lazing around was pretty fucking awesome. There was food practically everywhere, so anytime he got a little restless or bored, he could get up and grab a snack. Their area was between two large trees, so they didn't need to worry about any sun. Then, to top it all off, the clothes were loose fitting and pretty damn comfortable. Despite the unflattering bagginess in the butt area, they really knew how to design clothes back then. Anytime he sat down, his ass filled the pants perfectly. The only thing missing was a nice little hammock for naps. He'd have to remember to talk to Cas about that before he left. With any luck, he'd be able to catch up on his naps the following day in a comfortable hammock.

 

He spent most of the morning leaned up against a tree, Cas's tricorn tipped low over his eyes and dozing lazily while the event bustled around him. Without having his phone in his hand, it was easy to lose track of time, so it came as a surprise to him when he felt a vibration in his pocket. He jerked out of his light slumber at the feeling and quickly pulled his phone out to find Sam calling. He stood with a grunt and moved to crouch down behind a tent so he could take the call without the public seeing him.

 

"Hey, Sammy."

 

"Dean!" Sam greeted happily. "We just got here!"

 

"Where did you park?"

 

"At the library. We're about to head down the footpath towards the event."

 

He glanced up at the tree line that blocked the view of the event from the library. "Got it. I'll start heading over and meet you halfway."

 

After hanging up, he let Cas know he was heading out and began the walk up. He had yet to wander out of his groups camp, so it was kind of cool to see everything for the first time. Gone were the steaming thermoses and small stereos that had littered every surface when he had first arrived, and in its place were cool trinkets and props. Cas’s group, being the British Royal Navy, had a lot of naval supplies: Cannonballs, sails, maps, and other sailing tools. The other groups were varied. There was a doctor’s tent set up, the tavern that Cas had told him about, and even a spy ring that passed out coded flyers. He walked past a crowd gathered around an apothecary setup and listened while the woman who ran it was explaining to a group of people how a single woman like her might have made a living. Dean paused on his way to watch a guy polish a small cannon and listened to him explain the proper maintenance required in owning one.

 

He finally found Sam just past the tree line, one hand holding Emma's and the other holding Claire’s. As soon as she saw him, she rushed forward and latched onto his legs. With a laugh, he pulled her off and hefted her into the air before letting her settle onto his hip. Not one to be outdone for long, Emma ran over and held up her arms, silently asking to be picked up too. He obliged and planted a loud kiss on her cheek before doing the same for Claire.

 

Sam finally caught up with the trio and adjusted the strap of the backpack that held Claire's things. "Wow, Dean, you look great!"

 

Dean smiled at his brother. "It's pretty comfortable, actually."

 

Sam looked him up and down. "You think Cas would help me put something together?"

 

"You want to get dressed up like this?"

 

Sam shrugged. "It looks like fun. I did a bit of research on period sailing last night and I was fascinated to learn that men and women-"

 

Dean cut his brother off, not willing to listen to a lecture. "I don’t know, Sammy. Talk to Cas about it. So, how were the girls last night?"

 

"Actually, they were pretty good." He told Dean, only looking a little annoyed at the interruption. "Although…this morning I woke up to them both crying. Apparently, they kicked each other awake. Other than that, they were fine. You got next time, right?"

 

He turned to Emma. "Is that what you want, Emma?"

 

"I want ta pend the night at Uncle Deans!" she yelled, wiggling happily in his grasp.

 

Claire gasped and began wiggling in excitement as well. "Can she come tonight? She can play wif my barbie!"

 

Emma shrieked loudly in Deans ear. "I love barbies! I can bring all my barbies!"

 

"Yeah! Bring da barbies and the doggie toy. I don't got da doggy. Dean, can I get a barbie doggy? Emma had one and I played wif it and I was really good at Uncle Sammy's-"

 

"Weally good!" Emma chimed in.

 

"And Uncle Sammy said that I could have one."

 

"No, I didn't!" Sam argued. "I said that you'd need to ask your dad."

 

"Claire…" Dean interrupted. "We'll talk about getting one later, but for right now… don't you want to see your dad? You have to get all dressed up!"

 

"Yeah!" She yelled. "I want ta wear my flower dress!"

 

"I want a flower dwess!" Emma added, squirming to be let down so she could run to her dad. "Can I have a flower dress, daddy?"

 

Sam shrugged. "I'm sure mommy would love to take you shopping for a flower dress."

 

Emma squealed excitedly in return. "Tank you, daddy!"

 

Dean gave Claire a squeeze and let her down so he could take her hand. "Let's get going, then. Cas wouldn't say it out loud, but he's been anxious to get this little one back."

 

Sam turned to him and nodded. "Sure."

 

Dean began leading the small group into the event. "Ok, here are the rules…"

 

Sam rolled his eyes. "Oh, god. Rules? Dean…"

 

He held up his finger. "First, you can't hang out at the camp all day. Cas will let you in and show you around, but you can't stay there for insurance reasons."

 

Sam was barely even listening. "Do you think he's read Female Tsars? I just read it last night, and-"

 

"Second." Dean cut in before Sam could continue. "When mom gets here, I need you ready to run interference."

 

At that, Sam nodded solemnly. "I can do that."

 

Dean, who had been readying himself to argue, paused. "Really?"

 

Sam looked annoyed that Dean would even question it. "Yeah. I like Cas. We hang out without you all of the time. There’s no way I’m letting mom scare him away."

 

Dean could see the truth in his eyes and nodded gratefully. "Awesome. Thanks, Sammy."

 

"So, are you going to show me everything?" Sam asked, breaking the tension.

 

Dean let out a scoff and ruffled Claire's hair. "Nah, I have to get this little one to camp."

 

The finally rounded the tree line, revealing the event. Sam let out a low whistle. "This is so cool."

 

Dean stopped. "So, I'll leave you here. We're set up further back, so take your time."

 

Sam nodded and wandered with Emma over to the first camp and immediately began talking to the closest reenactor.

 

Dean smiled and pulled Claire further on, stopping every few minutes so Claire could pick a flower or two. By the time they made it back to the camp, she had a handful of half squished dandelions that she immediately presented to Cas. He took them from her reverently, like it was a bouquet of expensive roses and bent down to give her a kiss. With a solemn thank you, he led her into the tent to get dressed. She came out a few minutes later in her dress, a cream piece with red flowers, and a pair of black Mary janes with high socks. Cas trailed after her, a hooded circle cloak made of green wool in his hands. After it was placed and tied around her neck, the look was complete and (other than the shoes), she looked every bit like she belonged. "There's no way I'm dishing out $150 for period correct shoes for a 5-year-old," Cas explained when Dean had questioned it. "She'll grow out of them in a month."

 

"You like my dress?" She asked Dean, giving him a twirl.

 

"I love it." He promised her, taking in the muslin shift peeking out from the laced back of her dress.  "Where’s your cap?"

 

"I didn't want it. I want a hat like auntie Charlie."

 

Dean pictured Charlie's trimmed Bergere and gave Claire a gentle pat on the head. "Maybe once you're a little bigger, sweetie. Those are usually for the older kids."

 

She held her hand over her head like she was measuring height. "Like this big?"

 

"Yeah, sweetie. That big should do it." He ruffled her already messy hair. "Should we grab your cap then?"

 

She shook her head. "Daddy said because we're sailors on shore leave, we can have no cap."

 

He held up his hands in surrender. It's not like he was knowledgeable enough to give his opinion, although he secretly thought that Cas probably just gave up on her wearing a cap and started making excuses. The kid could be incredibly stubborn when she wanted. "Well, ok then. Let me give you a quick bun then."

 

He quickly tied her hair up and twisted it into a tight bun. Satisfied with his work, she pulled him away from the table and towards a chest. Inside was a selection of wooden toys that Cas had spent years collecting. She pulled out a handful of blocks and informed Dean that they were building a castle.

 

They played like that for a while, and then cleaned things up in favor of wandering behind the camp around the stream. Dean hung back, informing the little girl that if she fell in, he wouldn't be going in after her. The shoes he was wearing were just too expensive to get wet. She put her hands on her hips and gave him a pout at that, but he wasn't swayed. She could swim, after all, and the water was only a few inches deep.

 

After they had their fill of the stream, Dean took her to the portapotty and helped her hold her dress up while she used it. He almost laughed as he waited for her, her cloak thrown over his shoulder and skirts held high. Dean never thought he would be willing to stand in a portapotty and help keep a child from peeing on her dress, but there he was, having a conversation with her about wooden block building techniques while she took care of her business.

 

Back at the camp, Sam was already inside and talking to Cas. He brushed by his brother's shoulder roughly and chuckled when Sam trailed off and punched Dean in the arm.  From what he could tell, they were talking about black powder guns, and the proper loading techniques used at an event.  Soon, they walked off to the wooden table where everyone had piled their guns and watched as Cas pointed to various ones and began talking about them. Claire had found Emma, so his job as co-architect was over.

 

After a few minutes, Dean caught sight of Cas wandering over to him. Everyone was now moving, gathering up props and getting ready for something. If it wasn't for the sight of the cannon lying prone on a wooden table, Dean would have thought a battle was about to begin.

 

Cas stood in front of him, a billy club in one hand and a wide smile on his face. "We'll be back. Sam is talking to Linda about embroidery, so make sure you keep an eye on Emma too."

 

He eyed the weapon in confusion. Cas had a black powder pistol that he kept on him during events, but he had never seen the club before. "Going to go and kick some ass?"

 

"Press gang." He explained. "Alfie is already over there waiting for us. George Washington is giving his speech on tyranny, and we're just going to go ever there and grab him." Cas broke into laughter at the thought. "It's going to be perfect. Alfie wanted to warn Washington, but I think it'll be better if it's a complete surprise. It will really show everyone the reality of a press gang."

 

"So, you're just going to go and grab Alfie?"

 

"Yes!" he nodded happily. "This is my favorite part."

 

Dean watched as most of the camp gathered at the entrance, everyone with some kind of weapon. "Alright, well…have fun?"

 

Cas smiled and leaned in for a kiss. "We will. What's more fun than terrorizing and harassing the public?"

 

Dean snorted in amusement at Cas and waved him away. "Alright then."

 

Claire walked up to Dean, leaving Emma at the blocks, and climbed onto his lap. "Can we go for a walk?"

 

"Not yet. My mom is going to be here soon and we gotta be where she can find us." He reminded her. He had gotten the ‘On my way' text nearly thirty minutes ago, so she would probably be walking up in the next ten minutes.

 

She nodded and snuggled into his side. "Ok. Is she nice?"

 

He gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Of course, she is. She'll love you, ok? Don't start getting shy on me."

 

She smiled and pressed her face into his neck, probably wiping snot on his collar or something. "Ok. Is Uncle Sammy going to stay?"

 

"Yeah." He pointed further down the path. "He's planning on visiting the redcoats next, but he'll be back again later. Actually..." He yelled for his brother, interrupting the conversation he was having. "Sammy! you better get out of here before mom comes. I don't want her getting any ideas."

 

He sighed but ended his conversation and gathered up Emma to leave. They had already agreed that he couldn't be in the camp when she dropped by since they didn't want her to try and stay in the camp with them all day.

 

Dean and Claire began to play again, but they were soon interrupted by loud yelling. He glanced up the path and saw a crowd heading his way. Cas and Gadreel were leading the group, dragging a struggling Alfie by the elbows. The group yelled and cheered around him, all with disturbing grins on their faces. The public parted, making room for the loud group on the path, some confused, and some taking pictures with smiles on their faces.

 

As they neared, Cas met Dean's eyes and laughed manically. Even Alfie, with his shoes dragging and his shoulders probably aching with every step he was pulled, had a glint in his eyes.

 

"Smile at my child so she doesn't get scared." Cas hissed at Alfie as they neared the camp.

 

Alfie broke into a strained smile and even managed a strained giggle. "Hey, Claire!"

 

Dean snorted and glanced at Claire, who had been playing with the wooden blocks up until the noise of scuffling had pulled her attention. She looked entirely unimpressed with the group of men.

 

Cas and Gadreel shoved Alfie roughly into the camp, causing the poor boy to stumble forward a few steps before righting himself. He brushed off his clothes and glared at his captors, yelling something at them about freedom, but the show was clearly done and the general public was already dispersing, leaving Dean a clear view of his mother watching him with eyebrows raised.

 

He jumped to his feet, barely keeping hold of Claire. Dean put the girl down gently and jumped the rope that closed off their area, practically tackling his mom with a hug. He only got to see her a few times a month, and although he often left her house feeling exhausted, he still loved her.

 

Her blond hair was curled, and the makeup on her face was very subtle, but Dean could still tell that she was making an effort to look nice for Deans boyfriend.

 

"Dean." She started when he finally pulled back from the hug. "Is your boyfriend one of those strapping young men?"

 

 "Mom." He grumbled with a blush. "You better not flirt with anyone."

 

She laughed at him, patting his cheek lovingly. "Don't worry, I'll just wait until you're not looking."

 

"Oh, god…" he was already regretting everything and she had only been there for a minute. "Mom. Mst of these men are married."

 

"Ok!" She conceded with a smile. "I'm sorry. I'll play nice."

 

"Thanks, mom." He grumbled.

 

A glint appeared in her eyes. "Now. Where is this new grandchild of mine."

 

"Oh God…" he ran a hand through his hair. "I swear to god…if you scare him away…"

 

"I am your mother, Dean." She reminded sharply, her narrowed eyes freezing him to the spot. "I would never jeopardize your relationship like that."

 

Dean decided not to engage since that was definitely a conversation he didn’t want to with Cas so close. "Well, let me grab him for you then."

 

He hurried over to Cas, who already had Claire in his arms. "She's here."

 

"Where?" He asked, turning to look over Deans shoulder.

 

"Blonde woman, right behind me."

 

He smiled and waved at Mary, then immediately walked over.

 

"Wait!" he hissed. "I need to warn you-" But Cas was already too far to make a grab for, so he followed him over with a sigh. Like a true gentleman, he gently took her hand in his and brought it to his lips, saying a few words before giving her knuckles a quick kiss. Dean had never seen her mom so pleasantly surprised in his life. Dean completely understood. Without the greased-up apron pinned to his waistcoat, he looked every bit the gentleman.

 

He wanted to laugh when she blushed and looked away like a lovestruck teenager. "It's wonderful to finally meet you, Castiel." She said once she was able to look him in the eye again.

 

"I've heard so much about you, Mrs. Winchester." He replied, laying on the charm. "Your son speaks very highly of you."

 

She smiled. "It’s Mary. Mrs. Winchester was my mother."

 

Cas dutifully chuckled. "Of course, Mary. Would you like me to introduce you to my daughter, Claire?"

 

Her whole face lit up. "I would love to! I've heard nothing but sweet things about that little child!"

 

Dean watched, completely ignored by both his mom and Cas, as his boyfriend walked over to Claire and pulled her away from the blocks. He whispered something into her ear and lifted her into his arms before walking back to Mary. Dean stepped back since it was pretty clear that he wasn't needed, and watched.

 

She gushed over the child the second Claire was in her line of sight, and Claire reacted exactly how Dean thought she would. She clammed up. Cas laughed indulgently as Claire buried her face into his neck and turned into a koala with a death grip. Dean bet that if Cas let go of her, shed still be clinging tightly to the man and not slip down an inch.

 

Dean stepped up to his mother and cleared his throat to gain her attention before hissing, "Coming on too strong, mom."

 

"Nonsense." She replied under her breath. "Children love me."

 

A polite smile still on his face, Cas turned his body so Claire wasn't directly facing Mary anymore. "Maybe if we went for a bit of a walk, she'll warm up."

 

"Sounds like a great idea!" Dean added before his mom could say anything.

 

She squinted at him, and he knew that he was going to be hearing from her later, but there was no way he was going to let her embarrass herself in front of the man he loved. God forbid she ask to hold her, or something like that. Claire clearly wasn't having it, despite his earlier efforts to talk up his mother, and would probably cry if handed off to a new person. Good thing Cas would never do that.

 

They headed off to the main hub where most of the shops and the one food truck were located. Cas, master of small talk, kept her busy and distracted enough that Claire eventually unstuck her face from her father's neck and began looking at Mary with clear interest. Her blue eyes, so much like her fathers, looked the new woman up and down and then turned away, ignoring her completely as she was carried by her father.

 

They entered a small shop that sold tea sets and other random items, and while Mary was distracted by the jeweled hat pins, Claire squirmed out of her father’s grasp and was put down. She shyly approached Mary and grabbed her hand. As soon as Mary caught onto what was happening, she crouched down to Claire's level. "Hello, sweetie."

 

Claire pointed to the mismatched teacups that were displayed on a shelf. "I have some teacups at home, but dey're plastic."

 

“You do?”

 

Claire nodded. “But mine have Disney princesses on dem. I have Da Little Mermaid one but daddy doesn’t let me put tea in it. Only water.”

 

"Really?" she gushed in delight. "Do you like The Little Mermaid?"

 

Claire nodded. "But I don't have an Elsa one cuz dey didn't have it. Just Belle and Rapunzel."

 

"I love Frozen." Marry lied. "Elsa is the best."

 

It seemed to work because Claire's face broke into a huge smile. "Do you know da song? I love da song, but daddy and Dean won't let me sing it anymore."

 

Mary glanced Deans way with a raised eyebrow, but didn't comment on it. "Well, maybe you can come over soon and we'll watch it together."

 

Dean opened his mouth to argue, but he noticed Cas's small shake of his head and snapped his mouth shut.

 

"A get together sounds like a wonderful idea," Cas said, purposefully misunderstanding Mary. "We should invite Sam and have a Barbeque at our place. How do you feel about that, Dean?"

 

"You know I'm always down for a barbeque." He reminded his boyfriend, proud of how he was able to spin Mary's subtle request to babysit. He turned to his mom. "When do you think you'd be able to come?"

 

She frowned but answered anyway. "I’m going to be with Kathy next week, but I'm free the weekend after that."

 

Dean looked at Cas. "We'll plan for two weeks from now. Does that sound good to you?"

 

"Yes," Cas replied.

 

Claire grabbed her dads’ hand and began tugging him to a display of ragdolls. Mary watched them go with a smile on her face, her failed request to babysit apparently forgotten. "He's great, Dean."

 

He nodded. "I know."

 

She turned to look Dean up and down. "So, when are you two going to be getting married?"

 

Deans eyes widened and then shot to where Cas and Claire were sifting through items. "Mom!"

 

"Oh, Dean." she shook her head at him and gestured to Cas. "You've been dating for a while now. You live together. You parent his child. Don't you think it’s time?"

 

"Oh my god." His heart was racing, and his cheeks were flushed red. "We're not talking about this right now."

 

"I'm almost 60." she reminded him. "I need to see both my boys taken care of. Sam has Jess, so you need to make things official soon."

 

He took his mom's arm and pulled her away as quietly as possible. "I don't need anyone to take care of me. I'm in my 30's, ok? I have a good job."

 

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, if you're not going to marry him, then you need to end things with him now before you break that beautiful girl's heart."

 

Dean opened his mouth to argue, but he couldn't bring himself to start.  She was right. Obviously. He's known for a long time that Cas and Claire were his future. That didn't mean that he wanted to admit it to his mom, though. The last thing he needed was for her to go into wedding planner mode when he admitted that yes, he did plan on marrying this man. Not now, but eventually. "I know, mom. Don't worry."

 

She looked annoyed with him and pushed past him to get to Cas and Claire. He watched for a few minutes as they talked, and it wasn't long before he joined them. His mom seemed to have calmed down, but he knew that she was only being so pleasant because she was feeling sorry for them. In her mind, the fact that Dean didn't openly declare his intentions marry him meant that there would be no wedding bells in the future and he was stringing things along.

 

Dean bit his tongue and didn't say anything. He'd honestly rather her think badly of him than have her slip into full crazy mode on them. If she got even a hint of what Dean had planned for the future, she'd be unbearable. He'd never forget when Sam and Jess had gotten engaged and she invited herself to every cake tasting, every meeting with the wedding planner, every dress fitting, even the damn florist wasn't safe from Mary’s meddling. God forbid she found out he didn't want to do the giant wedding thing like Sam did. She'd have an aneurysm when she found out he'd rather have pies than a wedding cake.

 

He shook his head, not wanting to get ahead of himself. That was a thought for another day.

 

Cas's hand was warm and rough in his as they walked around the event, stopping every so often to greet other reenactors and to introduce them to Mary. She was glowing with the attention, and Dean had never wanted to kiss Cas so badly before. He was utterly perfect. Mary was distracted enough that she wasn't smothering poor Claire, and Cas was expertly steering her through neutral conversation, using his friends as a buffer whenever he needed it.

 

It was two hours after leaving the camp that they made their way back. With one look from Cas, Dean pulled his phone out and sent a discrete text to Sam. A few minutes later found him waiting for them by the entrance and Cas expertly handed her off to Sam. With only a little cajoling and one very impressive "Pwease!" from Emma, they left for lunch, leaving Dean standing in awe of everything that just happened.

 

"Am I dreaming?" He asked Alfie as he passed.

 

Alfie gave him a strange look but dutifully replied "No.", and went on his way.

 

Dean shook his head and headed straight for Cas, who had already returned to the fire and was moving charcoal around under the cast iron Dutch oven. "Put the poker down."

 

Cas frowned, but did as he was told. "Is everything alright?"

 

Dean nodded and looked around before pulling Cas over to the storage tent. He pulled the flap closed and brought Cas in for a hard kiss. The man responded quickly, wrapping his hands around Deans shoulders and stepping in even closer.

 

After a few minutes, Dean finally pulled away to catch his breath. "That was amazing."

 

He genuinely seemed confused. "What was?"

 

"The thing with my mom?" He reminded Cas. "I've never seen someone handle her so well."

 

"Handle her?" He repeated. "She's not a horse, Dean."

 

Dean rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean.

 

Cas smiled at him. "Your mother is a nice woman. She’s definitely not as crazy as you make her out to be."

 

"That’s only because you are a master at steering conversation." he reminded him. "She was too distracted by everything to be crazy. This means that you can only be around each other when there’s an event going on.”

 

Cas cocked an eyebrow. “Have you already forgotten we’re hosting a barbeque in two weeks?”

 

Dean kissed him again. “Sorry about the whole babysitting comment, she’s already considering Claire as her grandkid.” He tried to explain.

 

Cas nodded in understanding. “Although she was lovely, I’m not ready to hand my child off to her.”

 

“I know, and you were still amazing.” He stepped forward and lowered his voice. "When you get home, I'm going to give you the wettest, sloppiest damn blowjob you’ve ever had."

 

Cas’s mouth went slack for a moment before he was able to collect himself. "Dean…"

 

Dean leaned in to whisper breathily in his ear. "Can you picture it?"

 

"Stop." Cas whispered before he pushed Dean away. "You are horrible."

 

He couldn't help but smirk proudly. "You thinkin ‘bout what my mouth feels like?"

 

Cas's glare was ruined by the adorable tint of his red cheeks. "I'm leaving. Don't talk to me for at least ten minutes. I mean it. Go over there." He gestured through the tent to where Dean would be on the far side of the set up "Way over there."

 

Dean glanced down at Cas's crotch and smirked. With a smooth move, he mimed zipping his zips.

 

Cas left with a huff, steering clear of his daughter, and sitting at the workstation so he could finish chopping carrots and onions for their stew.

 

Dean made his way back over to Claire and offered to take her out of the encampment so she could run around. Sprinting around in her little green cloak, she looked like a damn hobbit, so it was practically mandatory that he ran back for Cas's nice camera and snapped a few photos. After she bored of looking at rocks and bugs, she suggested hide and seek.  Dean readily agreed since there was no hope he'd ever be able to deny her anything. There was nothing but a few scattered trees and some kind of tall utility box, but he wasn't going to turn the kid down. She declared him ‘it' first, and without waiting for him to cover his eyes and count, she ran straight for the nearest tree.

 

He rolled his eyes, counted to ten, and then wandered aimlessly for a few minutes before finding her completely by ‘accident'. She shrieked in laughter and then it was his turn to hide. Knowing it was the first place she'd look, he hid at the same exact tree, and not more than fifteen seconds later, she was screaming in excitement as she found him.

 

Almost 30 minutes later, Dean was exhausted and Claire was crying because in their last round of hide and seek he found her too quickly and that meant he wasn't playing nicely. He rolled his eyes at her and declared it was time for both of them to take a nap. She resisted and cried some more, but he persisted and practically shoved her into Cas's tent. With no room to walk around the twin-sized cot, he climbed directly onto it and pulled the sleeping bag over them both. Within five minutes they were both asleep and snoring. Claire was the one to wake him up almost 40 minutes later with the declaration that she needed to pee. After they both took care of business, he let her drag him around for a short walk.

 

Charlie was ecstatic to finally see them once they wandered to her corner of the event. Having been friends with Charlie for more than a decade, he was familiar with everyone in her group, so upon entering camp they were sat down on some cushioned chairs, and offered drinks. Claire sat back and chatted happily as she was cooed at by most of the women. They eventually settled with doing her hair and pinning in flowers so she would look like- in Claire’s own words- a princess. How they managed to give the front volume and roll some curls into the back, he’ll never know.

 

By the time they made it back to camp, it was already almost 7 pm, the sun was starting to set and Cas was serving up the stew. They only had thirty more minutes before he had to head out with Claire, and he could already tell by how clingy Cas was being that he was going to miss them. Claire had been forced to stay on his lap and endure all kinds of cuddles and kisses while she attempted to eat her stew, and when he wasn't acting like an octopus, he was holding Deans hand. Cas tried to get them to stay and join them for the dance they were having in another hour, but Dean had to decline and remind him that they had already talked about it and he had agreed that they needed to prioritize Claire getting a full night's sleep so she’d be in a good mood the next day. He huffed and pouted, and Claire continued to ignore their bickering in favor of picking all of the onions out of her stew and then organizing an attack on the potatoes.

 

Dean was able to extract Claire from Cas (with only a little fuss and one well-done glare) and then took them to the car. After loading her into the car seat and making sure she was buckled in, Dean went in for a goodnight kiss from Cas. It stayed chaste, despite knowing that Dean wasn't going to be able to fulfill his little promise for at least another day, and they parted reluctantly.

 

The minute Dean got home, he immediately sent Claire off to brush her teeth and went to grab her bed rail. He walked it back to his bedroom and shoved it between the mattress and boxspring on Cas’s side. When she came back, hands freshly washed after using the bathroom and breath smelling like her watermelon toothpaste, she went about getting her night diaper and pajamas on.

 

Beyond happy to discover she was going to be able to sleep with in bed with Dean, she bounced onto the mattress and jumped on the book he’d laid out for her. He pulled the bent pages of the book out from under her knee and grimaced at the state of it. Ferdinand was one of his favorite books to read to her, and now the paperback was creased.

 

With a sigh, he leveled her with a raised eyebrow and she calmed sheepishly. "Sorry."

 

"It's ok, Claire, but you need to be more careful."

 

"Sorry," she repeated. "I'm just excited to sleep wif you."

 

"I know. Let's just calm down and get settled for the night."

 

 She sat down and crossed her legs. "Are you gonna sleep right now too?"

 

"No. I'm going to get you tucked in and then go to sleep a little later."

 

"But Deeean." she whined. "You gosta go to bed now so you don't wake up tired."

 

He narrowed his eyes at his commonly used phrase being thrown back at him. "I know, sweetie. Don't worry about me, ok? Let's just get you into bed."

 

She pressed her lips together but conceded. "Fine, but you gotsa go to bed soon or you'll be hard to wake up."

 

"I will," he promised her and then pulled her down next to him. "Let's read, ok?"

 

They got through the book with only one interruption (“But why did da bulls want ta fight? Das not nice…”), and then sang her nighttime song together. He tried to give her a kiss and leave, but she wouldn't let him.

 

"Daddy always cuddles wif me when I sleep wif him." she pointed out, he lip wobbling with distress. "You gosta cuddle wif me."

 

With a sigh, he told her to wait and then grabbed his pajama bottoms. Quickly, he changed in the bathroom and climbed back into bed before turning off the light. With the door cracked open and the hallway light on, he was able to see her smile widely at him and roll over until she was curled into his side.

 

He moved her until her head was nestled in his shoulder, and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight Claire. I love you."

 

“Love you.” She replied before burying her face half under the blanket.

 

It took no time for her to fall asleep, and she didn’t even stir when he rolled her limp form onto Cas’s side of the bed so he could get up. By the time he bored of watching tv, it was a little past 11pm. Cas would welcome a call, Dean reasoned, so he flipped on the beside lamp, sat on the bed, and then dialed. When the phone was about to switch to voicemail, the call finally connected.

 

"Dean…" Cas breathed into the phone.

 

Dean smiled at the way Cas said his name. "Hey, Cas."

 

"I miss you."

 

Dean's heart clenched in his chest. "I miss you too. Claire isn't as good of a bed partner as you."

 

Cas huffed with laughter. "Its the snoring, isn't it?"

 

"No." he corrected with a fond look at Claires sleeping face. "the snoring is cute as hell. It's the constant moving. I don't know how this kid wakes up with as much energy as she does. It's a marvel."

 

"I think it has to do with development," he explained. "You'd be moving a lot if you had that many neurons firing."

 

Dean smiled. "Yeah. I haven't had that many neurons firing in a long time."

 

"I can't see you right now, so I'm unsure...but was that a self-deprecating comment on your intelligence?"

 

His smile widened. "Of course not."

 

Cas hummed over the phone. "Good. You know how I feel about you belittling yourself."

 

Dean rolled his eyes. He couldn't help it if that was how his sense of humor was. "I know, Cas."

 

"Well, I'm happy that's not the case then."

 

"What are you gonna be doing tonight?" Dean asked, hoping to change the subject.

 

"Tonight’s the big dance." Cas reminded him. "I'm hoping to get through it unscathed. Alfie is already drunk, so it seems he’s learned little from his last experience. I’m going to be keeping an eye on him."

 

"Unscathed?" Dean scoffed. "I can't imagine people getting into much trouble over there."

 

“You’d be surprised.” He stated cryptically. “Reenactors come from all walks of life.”

 

“I guess that’s true.” He conceded. “Well, if anyone does something stupid, make sure to get it on camera for me.”

 

Cas laughed. “I’ll try my best. I could always use the blackmail material.”

 

“You better.” Dean pulled down the blankets and settled in for the night. “I’m going to hit the hay in a second, I just wanted to hear your voice.”

 

Cas hummed happily into the phone. “I wish I was there.”

 

“Want to collect on that blowjob?” Dean teased. “Sorry, you’re going to have to wait until tomorrow.”

  
“Must you ruin every moment?” Cas asked with a huff, but he could hear the smile in his voice.

 

“You love me.” He replied. “You knew what you were getting into.”

 

“I did.” Cas conceded. “Will you be here with Claire around 8 tomorrow? I don’t want to rush you, but I miss her already.”

 

Dean glanced at Claire and watched her for a moment as she drooled onto Cas’s pillow. “Yeah, I’ll get there early. We miss you too. She’s sweating all over your side of the bed right now.”

 

Cas chuckled warmly over the phone, and then sighed. “I need to go right now, Dean. You need your sleep, and I need to keep an eye on our area.”

 

“Ok. I’ll see you in the morning, Cas. I love you.”

 

“I love you, too.”

 

Dean stared at the phone for a few moments after handing up and then tossed it onto the Bluetooth charger. He flipped off the bedside lamp and settled in for the night. Claire, as if sensing Dean was in bed with her, made a grunting noise and rolled into him. With an amused huff, he adjusted her until she was tucked into his side. She sniffed and squirmed, but eventually quieted into a deep sleep.

 

The long day was already catching up with him, but he still took a few minutes to stroke Claire’s hair. He’d have a lot to do the next day. Not only was he going to be there the whole day with Claire, but he’d have to help put with some camp chores and help tear down after the event was over. Even so, he was looking forward to it.

 

He was going to be with the two people he loved most, and that was all that mattered.

 

**Author's Note:**

> As always, comments are very appreciated.


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